The Journal of Christmas Past

This is probably so insanely boring for others to read but I just can't help myself.  I've now taken it from celebrating my journalversary with my journal in my journal to celebrating it on my blog for actual humans to read and experience.  Reading old blips from someone's journal might be the last thing you want to do today.  But I've put 9+ years of myself on this thing. I don't know who reads it, who's read it but has since left, who's just read bits and pieces here and there, but it soothes my soul to know that part of me is out there. Just as with my journal. When I die I'll know I'll have left a stamp of some kind, good or bad.  Blogs are dumb; i know this.  But I love mine. I love my ugly dumb blog. And I love my journal. So it makes sense that they should be friends.

So in the spirit of Christmas, journals, and blogs, or Christmournogs (-- i feel weird) ...orrrr... blournmas...journogmas, (--winner) let's read about Christmases of Jen's past. Maybe I'll include my current thoughts in a festive color.  If only I could share those of the future and write my own little Christmas Carol.  Maybe I will anyway? Predict next year's Christmas? Challenge thought of, considered, and accepted.  Stay tuned.

Dec. 16, 1993
I think I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit. All the lights and music and decorations. Yes, I love it all.  I really like playing my own Christmas music on the piano just as long as nobody is there watching me.  I really hate that.  It makes me feel stupid.  I want Christmas to come, but I don't, you know? 

Just wanted to remind everyone I am thirteen at this moment. It's also the birth of the journal.

Dec. 17, 1993
OK. In PE, we took a bowling test which I did bad on because I didn't know how to score. I wasn't listening when the guy came and talked to us. Then, in English we continued reading the Christmas Carol and we took a quiz on it at the end which I missed one on. 

--hahahaha! Bowling in P.E.!! hahaha...  Also, wow, really? Didn't know how to score? :/  Looks like I could have studied harder at bowling (Hahahaa). Also, Christmas Carol(! weird!)

Dec. 18, 1993 

(I'm sorry, I can't seem to be able to move on from this year. So many goodies)

I was in a play this month called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." I was a fireman and stagecrew.(well, not the whole stage crew. I was just on it.)  It was really fun.  

It was really fun! I wish I'd auditioned to be in more plays back in the day... 

Dec. 17, 1994 

Oh. Wait. Just kidding! Heh heh! Yesterday was the [journal] anniversary. Oh, well. We have quite a large Christmas tree. But then again, don't we always?
            Guess what! I missed one on my math test!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8th and 9th grade were both bummer years for math so I have counted and each and every one of those exclamation points is warranted and necessary, if I only missed one on a math test. 

Dec. 26, 1994
We had a great Christmas. Since it was on a Sunday this year, we opened our presents after church. I played the flute with Mom and Steph accompanying me on the organ and the piano. We played Chip Davis' version of "Still, Still, Still" and "O Holy Night."  It was not the greatest experience of my life. I messed up about 5 million times. After church we opened our presents.  I got a nice watch, a shirt and vest, Levis, a flannel shirt, a sweatshirt, pajamas, comfy slippers, a bathrobe, 2 necklaces, a bracelet, a jewelry box, candy, Tic Tacs, (yes!) socks, an extremely cool leather jacket!! 

I highlighted specific gifts because they just make me laugh. a) VEST. You know it was one of those fancy silky vests. Jessie illustrates. I'm thinking the one on the far right in the middle row:

b)  flannel shirt--YES! 90's-tastic! Was undoubtedly at least two good sizes too big. And then the slippers which I wore all through 8th and 9th grade. To school. With my white warm-up pants. RIP, you guys. Best slips of my life.  This journal entry also documents my addiction to orange tic tacs. Even now, every once in a while i'll have one and be like, ah yeah.. these are good. 

Dec. 28, 1996
Ah, how I love vacation. It is so great. I had a lovely Christmas. I got a heap of clothes, (including overalls. Yea!) A heap of earrings, and about 5 cd's. I got all of the Enya cd's. Yea!! I was so happy. I love Enya. Oh, yeah. I also got a watch. It has indiglo! Woo! Which reminds me. I have to go put it on. Just sec. OK. I'm back. I also got the Cranberries cd with When You're Gone on it. Shad gave me the tape (of Cranberries) with Dreams and Linger. Yea! 

 Oh. Man. let this be a testament to the value of including a list of your Christmas gifts in your journal. What a bizarre and lovely time capsule. OVERALLS.  Outstanding. Enya! Oh wow, I loved Enya so much. Indiglo watch-- remember when you pushed a button and your watch glowed?? And it was dark and you'd be like, excuse me, i need to see the time, and exaggeratingly stretch out your arms, thumb, and forefinger to display that eerie and beautiful green glow.  Let's not forget those excellent Cranberries CDs. So good. Oops wait, one of them was a tape.

 Dec. 7, 1997
Dave asked me to the Christmas dance! How fun!!   I came home one night and there were pennies all over my floor of my room. There was a note that said something like, 'deck your room with many pennies, falalalalalalalala,   Will you go to the dance with me? Fa la, etc. Look on the pennies, you will find fa la la, the missing letters, something something, fa la la. (I don't remember) anyway, the letters to the name were on the pennies so I had to search and search. Finally I found them.

1. Oh the lengths people would go when asking someone to a dance. and 2) that's kind of fun and clever, actually. Good one, Dave. 

Dec. 25, 1997 

Ah, Christmas. A lovely day. I am currently listening to my new excellent CD, the soundtrack to Star Trek First Contact. It is good. Mmm... I wanted this. ... I also got socks, 3 sweaters, a silky shirt and silky skirt, a black jumper, corduroy pants, and a lap desk thing (it's a plastic board with a cushion on the other side) so I can do my homework on the couch. 

Get this: I STILL have that lap desk. It is awesome and oh-so handy. 

Dec. 27, 1997
A few days ago, Amy, Brooke, and I went to the P.G. theater and saw Titanic. Very good, but very sad. It is so sad how all the people died. Did you know that 700 out of 2200 people survived? That's so sad. And it could have been prevented! If only the stupid people had made more life boats! Aarrghh! It makes me mad, but I guess there's nothing I can do.  

I just feel like I should include any and all references to Titanic, movie or real event.  This whole thing makes me giggle, especially that last line.  

Dec. 16, 1998
I am, of course, freaking excited to go home. Who isn’t? Me and Michelle decided that they should have finals at the beginning of the semester instead at the end, cuz that way, we will have just started school and we wouldn’t be quite sick of it yet, see. Plus, they have finals right before Christmas and that’s just not good cuz it makes us excited for the break and not care about the tests. But, I probably wouldn’t care about them anyway. Ha.

Aside from the fact that I'm in college and saying "cuz" a hundred times, let's talk for a minute about how taking your final final before Christmas break is literally THE best feeling in all the world. I think about it every year. Something deep inside my stirs and I try to get it back, just a flicker of that feeling, just for a second. THE BEST. Seriously, is there anything better?  I mean, giving birth....? Final final before Christmas....?  Ooooh it's hard. it's hard. (picture me weighing these out on my hands) Also, let's pay tribute to my mom who gave me the most amazing finals box ever, also something I still think/dream about. 

Yesterday, Mom brought me this big box of goooood stuff!  There was a loaf of raspberry swirl bread, cottage cheese, little pudding stuff, chocolate, V8 Splash (which I love) more food, little snacks, and more food still. Oh. AND a pomegranate! I was like, does my mom love me or does she love me! It was cool. 

Thanks, Mom. 

Dec. 24, 1998[talking about Christmas gifts I got for people] Oh, and when I got the 3 earrings, I also got free lip smacker, so I’m givin’ that to Ash. It’s hud-flavored, but she seems to like that stuff. :) Bleh. 

Hahahaha! Meeerry Christmas, beloved younger sister of mine. I always suspected I had a generous heart; this journal entry proves it. 

January 3, 2002
We played tons of games and saw tons of movies. Ahhh. :) Lord of the Rings was SO GOOD! I loved it! I need to see it again, stat.  Man... that is my kind of movie. Christmas was great.  I got some good stuff. I got my red coat! (Yeah!) And I got a hot chocolate maker! Woohoo!

a) when Lord of the Rings came out, it was the same time as Harry Potter. I remember the hubbub about both movies and discussions regarding which one would be bigger. I was convinced and argued vehemently that it would be Harry Potter because, it's Harry Potter! Isn't that funny? I didn't realize then that HP movies would turn out to be poop and that instead a seed of deep everlasting love for LOTR would be planted. It just shows how naive I was at 21, you know?

b) My hot chocolate maker is still with me and I love it as much as ever. Cocomotion, never say die! This thing is a dream. It makes hot chocolate so perfectly. Perfect temperature, perfect froth. 

December 25, 2002 7:17 pm
            Meeerry Christmas!  (Ok, I just saw I typed up there.)  Well, it’s been a great day. I know the holiday isn’t defined by what we get, but it’s still fun, right? So here’s what I got. First of all, I don’t think I ever told you I wanted a pet snake. But I did. (do.)  I think it would be the coolest pet! He stays in a tank but you can pull him out and play with him. And, you can watch him eat rats! I think that would be the coolest. So I told Mom I wanted one for Christmas but she and Dad were like “heck no!”  Not that I’d really expect to get one, but still.  So this morning I run upstairs and the first thing I see is a pile of presents with no one sitting by it (so that must be for me, I think) AND a cool loooong stuffed snake!!!  It was like when you’re a kid and you see something you really like or wanted and your eyes get all big and you’re super excited. I haven’t felt like that FOREVER!  I ran in and said “Is that my pet snake??” and leaped on the couch.  Ohhh I love him. Mom made him for me! He’s seriously 10 feet long (we measured) and he has buttons for eyes and a red felt tongue. And, the material is this giraffe print. So funny. I LOVE it.  Mom rules!  I carry him around all the time and snuggle up to him. Oh, after some contemplation I named him Snakey McSlither.  Ha ha. Oh, you love it! 

Oh man, this makes me sound like a freak. Especially because I was 22.  Sean has oft mentioned that there are so many stories i tell that lead him to believe i was a child and, turns out, i was in my 20's or something. My response was always like, whatever! I'm young at heart, man!  Buuuut after reading this one, I'm thinking it's just kind of weird.   But still cool. My mom made me a pet snake. And I did eventually grow up and do adult things, just so you know. This time next year I would be all married (and missing my pet snake) so see? I grew up. 

I think I'll end here because this thing is hecka long and i feel like it is less fun the older I get (waah, that statement sucks).  But you know, nothing beats reading your words as a 14-year-old.  And hey, I've gotta have something for next year's journalversary.  So let's all look forward to that.  Happy anniversary, journal. 21 years, you beauty.